FORGIVING [tomioka giyuu]

eight

Day of dealing with paperwork, his feet wander into one of the many gardens of the Demon Slayer Corps. It's a quiet one though, because no one is around and only water trickles from a mossy fountain.

Pale stones crack beneath his sandals, gentle with its placement as the Water Hashira walks.

Ink is still smudged underneath his fingers, bags continue to grow beneath his eyes, and his fingers twitch with uncertainty. Yet even without thirty-nine hours of sleep, Giyuu allows the wind to warp around his cheeks and kiss him butterfly kisses as a new ink painting joins his growing collection.

A pond splishes, and the Water Hashira grows fascinated. He doesn't even realize he's squat by the source of sound, mesmerized by the koi that swim in patterns.

He wonders about the temperature of the water, letting his fingers tickle the surface before allowing half his palm to sink.

Giyuu lets his hand lower into the abyss of the koi pond, watching the crystal green tint tinge his pale skin as the fishes admire the new presence. His breaths stutter when scales caress his knuckles, a koi with shimmering gold accents to white.

He's in a trance as the fishes dance around in curiosity, almost hypnotically.

Despite being the Water Hashira, how long can a human last without air? How long would it take for a human's lungs to collapse and twitch due to no oxygen? How long can a human like Giyuu swim before their limbs give up? How long would it take for Giyuu to drown?

A splash snaps him out of his trance, a common red and white koi flicking in his palm as if asking to be pet. So he does, and its friends seem interested in the attention as well.

Not even a few minutes later, leaves rustle and something takes a seat next to the man; orange and black tail flicking as it watches the fishes just as Giyuu does.

A soft meow pauses his actions, allowing him to draw his wet hand from the koi pond and to face the small calico that purrs at his side. Even without wet, matted fur.. Giyuu blinks with recognition evident in his expression.

"It's pretty.. isn't it?" Makomo's voice rings in his ears, but the feline creeps close enough to be a few paws away. The voices almost disappear, fading away with the gentle wisps of breeze.

It meows like it had read Giyuu's mind, nose in the air and mouth morphed into what he would've believed was a smile. It's glimmering amber eyes look up at the Hashira, and Giyuu can see speckles of blue flooding one of its irises. Heterochromia..?

The small creature looked way smaller in Gyomei's palm; shivering and mewing with delight given through light pets and comforting scratches.

Giyuu reaches out with a dry hand, hesitance in his fingers. It's not like Giyuu doesn't want to pet it, but he doesn't want to be gifted with aggressive scratches and bites like town dogs often greet him with. Animals were never his strong suit.

Luckily, the ears slant in pleasure and it's small head leans into Giyuu's palm. Taking it as a good omen, the Water Hashira gifts the being small scratches behind the ears as if he's never done it before.

He really hasn't, but hey.. baby steps.

It purrs much to the surprise of Giyuu, evident by his blue orbs glittering almost childishly.

Within the darkness of his everyday life, at least this one single cat finds joy in his presence.

"P..p-pretty..." he murmurs, taking his calloused palm and running it down the colored fur. It's less dirty than it was when Gyomei had presented them to him, and even a bit chunkier than he had last remembered. "Someone's be..been treating you well."

It meows as if to answer his comment, leaning into the man's touch more and more with every scratch.

They share moments of silence only filled with the splashes of the koi pond and heavy purrs, but Giyuu feels something bubble within his chest.

Ah... "contentment.."

It doesn't have a collar, but before Giyuu's crow arrives— he decides to name them Tangerine.

Tangerine sits even as Giyuu meditates, patient and accepting when the man draws his hand away. Though their ear flicks and the odd eyes watches him, awaiting the next move.

He crosses his legs over in a criss-cross form, hands on his knees and lets the silence warp around him. It traps his mind in one place, silencing the area with his own consciousness.

Water trickles from somewhere, drops that echo from the puddle they escape into. The wind curls in his ear lobes and pause their ventures, soft 'wooshes' that greet him.

Suddenly, he doesn't need his sword to feel the deathly peace.

"Eleventh Form.." he breathes out, allowing himself to escape into a realm of only himself. "Dead Calm."

It continues until noon, even as Tangerine climbs their way into Giyuu's lap and naps their for the rest of the day, purring in comfort as the human cradling them murmured words to the cold air. Their tail explores where it can, into the sleeves of Giyuu's haori, the crevices of his sitting position, even just curling elegantly when the spring sun sends warmth from above.

Today he doesn't mind the ghostly mockery, doesn't mind the hours he sleeps shrinking, doesn't mind the sudden heaviness in his blade when he wields it.

Today is another Hashira meeting, possibly one of the last ones before Ubuyashiki goes under constant medication.

They're all in their respected seats, knees against the tatami mats as the man with bandages over his right blind eye prepares to speak.

Giyuu didn't mind the way candles seemed to grow six twins, or how three Shinobu's shook his shoulder and warbly words slipped through her lips.

"A.. re.. u... k.. ay..?"

Uzui's eyes got wide with worry, why is he worried?

Mitsuri looks blurry but she gasps, what for?

Giyuu didn't mind when the noises in the room suddenly got loud, overwhelming.

Shinazugawa screaming was sudden, and it rung against his eardrums like how a scream would echo in a cave.

Last of all, he didn't mind when his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.